Glass-melting tank



. Y Aug' 9 1927' K.,G. KUTCHKA GLASS MELTNG TANK Filed Dec. l0, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet l NNI WNV,

INVENTOR Hm. www.

Wmv. mJN lm.

Aug. 9, 1927.

y K. G. KUTCHKA GLASS MELTING T'NK Filed Dec.` lO. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Aug. 9 1927.

K. G. KU' :HKA

GLASS MELTING TANK 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 1o,\ 1925 INVENTORA 1,638337- Aug 91927" K. G. KUTCHKA v GLASS MELTING TANK Filed Dec. 1o, 1925 4 sheets-sheet'll Patented Ang. 9, E27.

` 1,638,737 'y FFICE XBRL G. KUTCHKA, GF'WILEINSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA; ASSIGNOR T0 PITTSBURGH l PLATE GLASS COMPY, A CORPORATION 0F EENNSYLVANIA.

emes-nnte tra,

Application filed December The invention relates to glass melting tanks, and has for its objects the rovision of means for improving the indepen ent control of the temperatures in the two ends- 5 0f the tank.

It often happens that it is desired to maintain a much higher temperature 'in the melting end of the tank than in the' working or withdrawing end andy this result has been secured in some cases by the provision of an arch intermediate the two ends of the tank artially closing 0E the spaceabove the sur ace of the glass, but this expedient helps the situation only in part, since the arch as thus constructed may cut ofltoo much or too little of the.

area; so that the difference in temperature between the tank ends is usually too 'great or too little. Further. lthe requirements of the tank may vary, so that a separating arch. which, during one eriod of operation and under certain conditions, may'be suliicient for the purpose, is durin another of operation and under di erentcon ltions, insufcient to give the desired result. The present invention i'sdesignedto overcome these difficulties, so that the degree of sep-5 eration between the ends of the furnace may be adjusted to ive exactly the dierence in temperature esired.

A -Briefiy stated, this is accomplished byv the provision of a movable furnace sectionl havin its top portionin the4 form f an l arch-aollcwing the contour ,of the roof or archy fthe furnace and mounted for-.vertias esl adjustment, so that any desired degree ofseparation may be secured between the regenerator, or melting end of the tank,

and the. working or withdrawing en d.- More specifically, this result is accompllshed by an mounting the movable arch section and its side walls in a rigid supporting framework of commercial steel sections guided for'vertical movement, and provided with -means for moving .it` up and down. The movable a; arch 1s made in U-shape; in cross section to facilitate its cooling. and so avoid the destruction of the portion of thearch on the side toward the melting end of the furnace, andl means are also preferably provided for n artificially cooling (preferably by air) the arch portion in order to still further pro'- teet it. n

The expedient is useful in glass tank design for a wide variety of purposes, as in @5 practically all cases, it is desirable to have eriod 1c, leas. seran no. 74,557.

a well controlled difference in temperature between the ends of the tank. The tank illustrated shows merely a bay at the working end of the furnace, from which the glass may be ladled, but any desired intermittent 'or `continuons withdrawing m'eans may -be employed at this working end, such as are used in the manufacture of window or plate glass, orj'lin the manufacture-inf other glass articles. One embodiment-"of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsl whereinzf Figuren-'1 is a partial planview and partial horizontal .section taken through 'the tank construction. Fig. 2`is alvertical section on :the line II-II of Fig. 1" with the movable".4 arch section in its uppermost-posi` tion. Fig.. 3 isa section similar to that of Fig. 2, but with the arch section in loweredv rovided with a bay or withdrawing opening 3 from which the: glass may be ladled and used for any desired purpose. melting end of the furnace is-Shown as provided with four sets of ports 4, 5, 6 and 7 for supplying the gas and air for heating the glass, the tank or furnace being of the' usual 'regenerator typ, in whichthe ow of combustible mixture of gas and lair across the tank is 4reversed from time to time. Between the melting end 1 and working end 2 of the tank is an adjustable arch section `8 mounted ,for vertical movement, as indicated bya comparison of Figs. 2 and 3in which the section is shown in two different positions of. adjustment, Fig. 2 showing the arch in completely raised position and Fig. 3 showing it in lowered )osit-ion, so that a art of` the space lyingr a ove the The surface.v o the glass between the two-ends I llo i between thetank ends.

The arch section is ,made U-shape l in cross section, as indicated -10 supported upon the wall 9j At the f -endsvofthe arch wall 9 are the depending end"walls11,` 11 which are locatedoutward comprising the from the center line of the tank a distance such that when the arch section is lowered, these Walls Will telescope over the 'side walls 12, 12 (Fig. 4) of the tank.Y The movable arch section 8 is supported in a rigid rectangular frame made up of commercial scctions andcomprisinff the end members 13, 13, .theunper transverse tie member 14 lying above fthe arch section and the lower .transverse tie member 15 lying below the The end- 'members 13,v

bottom of'the tank. 13 carrythe-angl'cs 1.6. 16 which support the end blocks of the arch wall 9, such langles taking substantially all the ,weight of the arch wall 9 and its two side walls 10, 10. The depending` side walls 11, 110iE the side wall section are carried upon a second pair of anglesil, 17. also adjustably secured to the side frame-members 13. 13. 1The side walls' 11"are'made up of blocks resting one upon the other, as vindicated` in Fig'. 6, so that when. the arch section is lowered to its bottom position vwith the wallslloverlappingthe side walls 12, 12, the blocks walls 11, 11 may be removed so Athat'th'e outer. faces of the walls 12, 12 are exposed for the application of cooling means, such as a're ordinarilyappliedto 'the outer surfaces of tank lside Walls in order to reduce their temperature and lengthen their life. y n Theraising and lowering of the framework supporting the arch section vis accoinplishedby means of the screws 18, 18 working through worm wheels 19,v 19 swiveled atv the lower corners of the framework.' 4The Worm wheels are driven'by a pair of Worms carried by the shaft 20 and this shaftis in suitable reduction -gearin and 23. In order to guide, the framework, aFpair of upright pillars 24T are provide-d ig.' 1) ont-he front and rear sides of each side frame member 13, such pillars being anchored at their lower ends in suitable concrete piers so that the :columns are rigidly held against lateral deflection. Each .of the columns is provided onthe side next. to the frame member 13 with a pair of rollers '25, 25 (Figs, 1 and 2) which rollers bear against the faces of the angles constituting a part of the frame members 13. This serves to th maintain the framework in its proper position when it is adjusted up and down by the screws I18, 18. ll'n order to support the short b s2. and 3, and this section is built- 'tank gh. in the casings 22 h sections of the side walls 12 of the tank (Fig. 4) at' the portion thereof which lies opposite the frame members 13, 13, the series of horizontal eye beams 26 are employed, such eye beams being supported at their ends from the vertical buck stays 31, 31. In order to protect the arch section from overheating, artificial cooling means are preferably einployed, such cooling` means including a pipe 27 supplied with air under pressure through the connections 28, 29 (Figs. 2 and 3) and provided with a plurality of nozzles 30 `for directing the cooling air against the arch Wall 9 and the sidewall 10 Wheresuch walls engage, asthis is the locationvv which most requires rotection against overh'eatinig When the arch section is inl complete lowered positiomas indicated in l of the bricks constituting; the side walls 11, 11 are removed, but when the arch section `is in an intermediate position, only a part of the bricks are'removed and the supporting brackets are adjusted upward on the side members 13, 13, so that the space be tweenthe angles 17 and 16 are completely filled with brick work.` The wall 9 is shown as an arch, but it will bennderstood that' the invention is equally a plicable in a tank which has a Hat top, in w would also be 'lat and suitably supported. The term arch member is used in claims, therefore, the Wall corresponding to the wall 9 (Fig. i) 'may be dat aswell as curved.

1. The combination with a glass melting tank having a melting end an a` working end, of an arch ends and having depending Walls at the ends of such member and mounted for vertical movement, so that a greater or less portion of the member ma 'be moved inside the tank depending upon t e vertical position 'of the member, and means for adjustingpthe member vertically.

2. The combination with` a glass melting having a melting end and a working end, of an arch member, U-shape in cross section l ing between said tank ends vand aving epending end walls, and mounted for vertical movement, so that a less portion of the member may inside the tank depending u position of themember, an Justin'g the member vertically.

3. The combination with a tank having a melting end and of an arch member lying between said end, tank ends and having removable depending means for adend walls and mounted for verticalmovepr less portion of,

ment, so lthat a greater e member may be moved inside the tank depending u ornthe vertical position of the member, an means for adjusting the memer vertically.

ich case the wall 94 member lying between said' Blass melting' a working comprehends a member in which eater ore moved on the vertlcal ias www

- Thejcombinacn with a gnss making ank havmg a making and :m a wojin wd, @3f in cui; nii-'means lying batwen sai ends and comprsinw a reracury arch mem- ?Jer, a suppoting Llmmework 'for the :mah

. memba mounte :for vertical movement,

guide means for said' framework lcatd outside said tank at be sides theref, and means fox* moving the framawox'k VetL muy. 5. The cnxan'bmion with; a glas@ melting tank 'having amelting and and a Workin and, of@ out off means lying betweeu sai ms eine?. cemprsng' s, refractory sich `n'mejl'mxbe, m a sup @ming 'amwork for lith@ ,arieh :member gulded for Vertca move- "merac, mici ccmprsmv vertical side members' im opposite Sides of me tank, a my aie mem-' 'arch membe, and m lowes? fije 'member be i tween fzhe suie members bluw he tank, mnd

' member vertcay.

l n. @estmcny wlw'eof have bewut@ subscrlbed my .name 'this 28th day @i N0- vembez, H925. 

